


Wolves

by leonpaladin



Category: One Direction (Band)
Genre: Alpha!liam, Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, M/M, Magic Powers, Mpreg, My weird version of Norse Mythology, Omega!Niall
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-08-03
Updated: 2017-08-03
Packaged: 2018-12-10 16:49:52
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 8,365
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11695842
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/leonpaladin/pseuds/leonpaladin
Summary: Liam and Niall are the wolves of the Norse god Odin. They try and survive the world of humans, and learn a few things about their changing selves.





	Wolves

They’ve been chasing each other since the beginning of time: before men built their cities; before the forests died; before the tempest became fierce; before the glaciers melted; and back when gods roamed the face of the earth — their ceaseless love filled the rolling fields, scattered their musky scents in the wind, and broke the silence with their glorious refrain.

They would often meet in by rivers flowing from the mouth of Yggdrasil, the world tree, in the middle of the night when the constellations wheeled overhead; when the songs they have written to each other played over and over like psalms in the midnight air; when in the darkness they made love to each other in their mortal forms, flesh to flesh until they were almost of one being — one _beast_ — that had flames like Gubraithian fire, everlasting, inside their chests and veins. The days felt unending: immortality has prolonged their lives past the eons, past the millennia until the age of man, and into the centuries wherein they were revered and trembled upon by weary humans who sought for them as dieties much like their master — the wand-bearer, Glad-Of-War, the Hooded One, the All-Father — the god Odin.

But, alas, the time had come when the gods themselves have scattered, hidden from the mortal world way deep in the clouds, in the poisoned groves of the forest, in the ancient caverns; they could no longer roam the fields that have now turned to towers of brick and mortar, of steel and glass. Mechanical box horses rushed through paved roads and the clatter of mortal lives groaned and tarried on to the night. The Age of Man has brought destruction to their once peaceful world, and in the rage of the engines and the sizzle of electricity, the wolves of Odin — Freki and Geri — were forced to retreat into the mountains, mingling in each others warmth.

In the silence of the forest, a thought came into Geri’s mind: a wondering query of whether they should go down to the cities and stay in their mortal forms. Freki was appalled by the suggestion but through much persuasion, they shifted into humans and slipped their naked bodies into their clothes. Geri’s dark green eyes turned a tinted blue-green, his charcoal mane transformed into a pale skin and blonde hair; Freki’s silver fur shifted into bronze skin and brown hair while his golden eyes turned muddy brown.

“We should change our names,” insisted Geri, putting on his tweed jacket and conjuring a suitcase out of thin air and stuffing it with clothes he pulled out of nowhere. “We know humans nowadays have weird names — we could use them to blend in.”

“I don’t want to change my name,” snarled Freki; he tapped the walls of the cave den and heaved a rucksack filled to the brim with gold out between two pressing rocks. “They should _accept_ our names — they’ve accepted it before.”

Geri gave Freki a stern look before taking the rucksack with him and effortlessly slipping it into an already full suitcase and miraculously fitting it inside. “When they still believed in us,” said Geri indignantly. “But the problem is, they don’t anymore. Even the gods chose to anglicize their names.”

Freki, who had already finished dressing up, extinguished the roaring fire in the middle of the cave den with a quick wave of his hand. “Names have power,” he pointed out. “Our names were spoken with veneration — not unlike Fenrir who has become nothing more than a werewolf in a novel. And don’t get me started on Thor…”

“We don’t need domination,” retorted Geri frustratedly. “What we need is to survive. We still have our powers even in our mortal form, and that’s all we need—” He glanced at Freki as if he said something wrong; sure enough Freki was frowning at Geri with slight hurt in his muddy brown eyes “— _and_ each other. Of course we need other, my love.”

Freki did not smile but held Geri’s hand and placed a kiss on the back of it. They finished tidying up their den in silence; an air of tension was emanating from Freki. When Geri dragged their final belongings to the mouth of the cave, Freki appeared beside him, setting down two stone carvings. They locked eyes and Freki gently kissed Geri on the lips.

“I’m terribly sorry for being stubborn, my moon,” said Freki apologetically. “You know me — unmovable and rigid. That is why the All-Father preferred to have you on the war table: you always bended to the situation and found a way. Whereas me, well, I’d rather kill everyone in my path.”

Geri looked at him hopefully. “So does this mean a yes on the names?”

Freki nodded with utmost resignation. “It is. If you think that is best, then I have no qualms on your plans. So be it—” He craned his neck at the book he noticed Geri was holding “—what shall I be called?”

The excitement could not be contained in Geri’s face as he opened the book to the page where he had placed a long quill. “Well, how do you feel about being called ‘Liam’? It’s rooted in old German, hints of Irish too — ‘helmet of will’ or ‘strong-willed warrior’. That’s _definitely_ you!”

Freki smiled in approval, careful not to look so exuberant about Geri defining him as a strong-willed warrior. Leaning closer to his beloved, Freki tarried on, “What about you, my moon? What have you chosen?”

“I’m going with ‘Niall’,” stated Geri. “It means ‘champion’, but it also means ‘passionate’ and ‘avid’. And you know how I loved the books in Frigga’s private collection in Asgard. She was always so keen in teaching me magic and knowledge about the worlds. It was delightful.”

It had been decided; Freki and Geri shed their names for new ones, randomly picking last names (“Humans have those now,” said Geri. “A way of distinguishing for those who bore same names.”) from the other pages of Geri’s old tome. Alas, they were the wolves of Odin no more, but two humans — Liam Payne for Freki, and Niall Horan for Geri — disguised as partners who have come from a foreign land.

The two stone carvings animated themselves to life: flaming wolves that paced the cave entrance endlessly; and Geri, now named Niall, cast enchantments over their centuries-old home. They bid their farewells to the place they called their own and traversed down the mountainside, slipping slowly into an old town nearby.

For the next eighty years, they travelled endlessly from place to place for fear of being discovered as something else because of one thing: they never aged. The years did not catch up to them, and they watched as humans grew older while they prospered in their youth. Niall had written many novels, disguised with many names, and taught in many schools; Liam trained soldiers, fought in two wars as well as survived them (much to Niall’s worry and distraught), and then disappeared without a trace years later from the armies he had served in.

In their eighty-second year, they had settled in a manor just outside of Brooklyn, amassing fortune in their years of work. But though the world changed, the places differed, and people came and went, there were some things that remained: they still watched the dimming constellations wheeling overhead; they danced to the songs they composed for each other in their ballroom; and they still made love to each other restlessly, passionately — still trying to fuse themselves into one beast.

During a certain night, they had an argument; for hours Niall did not speak to Liam, locking himself up in their small astronomy tower. But Liam climbed the stone walls with much vigor that he reached the top of the tower in no time at all. Niall was trying to push him away but Liam knew he was much stronger: Niall had his magic but he faints at Liam’s strong touch, an irrevocable weakness that Liam had the pleasure of employing on his most beloved.

“You’re going to leave me!” wailed Niall.

Liam looked amused. “Leave you? For those women?” He leaned closer, closing the gap between them until their noses touched; Liam gave a low, rumbling chuckle. “You’ve been reading far too much on romance books with languid affairs and watching soap operas where everyone is lusting over everyone else. My moon, you have been mistaken — I am madly, deeply love you and no one else. Have our eons together not proven anything about my loyalty to you?”

Niall was blushing profusely as Liam took him by the lips, their kiss lingered as Liam tried to dispel whatever clouded thoughts have tainted his beloved’s wise mind. Still trying to get away — perhaps this time out of shame that he had thought of such things — from Liam’s grasp, Niall struggled and failingly writhed his way out of Liam’s arms but, like their namesake, Niall’s only love was stronger-willed than he was.

As Liam continued to take Niall, the once-named Freki lingered on the memory as to why Niall had such an outburst. The night before he was caught in some skullduggery involving a hooker in Manhattan and a clever fellow with a knife. The fools did not know who they were up against, and, with one flick of his hand, the man with a knife was thrown against the nearest wall and the bricks were engulfing him alive; the accomplice — the hooker — fainted out of fear of what she has plunged herself into. Liam tried to revive her with the breath of life — and that was when Niall appeared with an umbrella, apparently searching for Liam for over an hour. He found Liam with a woman in kinky clothing in his arms and suddenly burst into outrage, conjuring magic in the back alley that turned the woman into a slug.

“Am I not _enough_?!” Niall raged, swashing his umbrella at Liam.

“What are you talking about?” asked Liam calmly.

“Her!” Niall pointed at the slug that was slowly getting sucked down the drain. “I should have known! Still with that avaricious appetite!”

“For war and fighting!” Liam stood his ground, Niall’s magic bouncing off of his chest as he tried to explain. “Never in my life have I pursued anyone but you! The truth of the situation is not what you think it is.”

“Oh, so you find me as a fool, do you?” Niall said haughtily. “Stay away from me, you fiend! Don’t come back to the house or I’ll _murder_ you!”

But Liam did come back to the manor the next day. Swords came flying through the front doors and a terrible tempest howled through the halls, knocking the furniture over into a disarray. Liam holed up in the study for the rest of the day until the night came and what happened had happened.

After a long kiss, Liam pulled away; a twinkle much like the stars overhead appeared in his eyes and his muddy brown irises turned golden yellow. It had not done that before — not since they were in their wolf forms almost a century ago. Niall traced his fingers on the faint stubble on Liam’s jaw, his solemn eyes offering apology for his moment of madness.

“I’m sorry,” Niall whispered. “So sorry, my love. Perhaps I was just afraid…”

“Fear doesn’t suit you, my moon,” Liam gave him a smile. “Don’t _ever_ feel that way again. It’s poison, a treacherous thought. The world cannot offer me anything more than what I already have. I love you — I love you so much, Niall, don’t ever let that escape your mind.”

They came down the astronomy tower lost in each other’s gazes. In their bedroom, they have discarded everything and was left with nothing but their naked bodies to each other. Niall lied down on the soft mattress and Liam went after him. Locking their lips together, a short whimper escaped Niall’s throat as he accepted Liam’s girth inside of him. Liam thrusted listlessly into Niall, intertwining their fingers as he hastened his pace. His rod drove in and out of Niall’s entrance relentlessly, covered in musky fluid; Niall’s fingers clawed down on the skin of Liam’s back, panting heavily before catching another kiss — before white substance spurted out of his member sandwiched between them.

This could last for a while, they both thought.

The wolves inside of them wanted more, grasping onto the feeling they’ve caught more than once before but was slipping every time. They tried to catch it; Liam pulled out of Niall and held tightly onto the small of Niall’s waist, grabbing him towards his chest, and Niall sank down again on Liam’s rigid shaft steadily though his thighs were already shaking. Niall groaned loudly, sinking his teeth on Liam’s shoulder, and every time Liam went deeper Niall felt himself shudder. The parts inside him coiled and tensed, and Niall came for the second time; the everlasting flame was searing his veins with utmost pleasure as he swivelled his hips, grinding wildly and eagerly.

Liam cursed something in Gaelic, attacking Niall’s neck and leaving purple marks in his wake; he thrusted harder as he felt Niall’s scent become stronger — it was driving him insane. Niall’s erotic moans and salty skin was making his mouth water that Liam almost forgot that’s what they were made to be: Freki and Geri, the greedy and avaricious wolves of Odin.

“L-Liam— _oh gods_ —” Niall choked out as their bed began to creak and rock “—h-harder— _LIAM_!”

The bed began shaking violently but neither of them minded; they’ve destroyed plenty of beds and trees in their lifetime. But Liam heaved Niall up, carrying him out of their bed, and continued to pound into him as they hit the wall.

“No one else but you — _do you hear me_?” Liam growled; Niall was furiously pulling his hair and burst cum over their chests. “Do you hear me, _Niall_? This flesh is mine — this body is _mine_! I never wanted anything else but you and you alone! My body, my life — they’re all _yours_ as well, my moon. Do anything you want to me; I’ll make love to you forever if you wanted me to!”

“ _LIAM_!!” Niall cried out. Curses rolled out of his tongue like inane babbles as he felt something about to explode inside of him again; his member, rubbed raw between their stomachs and drenched slickly with his fluids, was rock-hard and twitching uncontrollably. “ _FUCK ME_ —LIAM—OH GODS—LIAM, MORE—PLEASE— _FUCK ME_!”

When everything had been lost in the kamikaze of their all-engulfing desires, all bursted into waves of pleasure. They staggered back onto the bed that creaked in displeasure of their return. Walls clenching around Liam’s engorging rod that grew inside him and forming a knot, Niall whimpered and released between them, painting their torsos in slippery, wet whiteness; Liam, with a rumbling howl, buried himself deep into Niall and emptied his seed inside him. For a few minutes they lied still, Liam soothingly kissing Niall’s neck and face, murmuring sweet words as Liam’s knot continued to fill Niall; his fluids were already leaking out of Niall’s entrance and drenching the sheets.

Both of them felt wrapped in an ethereal glow; Niall’s chest was still heaving but he couldn’t stop himself from playing with Liam’s messy hair, staring lovingly right back at Liam’s worried brown eyes.

“I…” Niall felt air escaping him, losing the words to say. “I love you, Liam.”

Liam’s eyes twinkled and turned golden. He buried his face on Niall’s neck, kissing it lightly and upwards until he found himself licking and nipping at Niall’s ear; his knot still hadn’t subsided and Liam wanted to relish the moments they still had as one creature — as one beast.

“Niall, moon of my life, I promise to always protect you,” Liam’s voice resounded lowly and full of honesty. “I’d be lost in eternity without you by my side — I’d rather die.”

“You know, for someone who craves nothing but war and bloodshed, you have become quite poetic.”

“Well, you are my inspiration—” Then Liam grinned cheekily “—and perhaps I _had_ asked Frigga to teach me whilst you were busy with your war councils. The Queen seemed awfully delighted that I had taken interest, especially when I told her it was because of you.”

Niall laughed, cutting sharply into a groan, feeling Liam move inside him. “You cheat! So that was where you disappeared to!”

They had fallen asleep without them noticing. Silence filled the room, the bed lopsided but hanging on even under the weight of its two occupants. The city in the distance never ceased its lights but the noise winded down as if a draught of slumber had fallen on its inhabitants like a drizzle. In the pale moonlight, Liam stirred gradually, a strong, radiating heat coming from his pelvis; Niall was on top of him, flushed and riding his rod languidly.

“Niall…” Liam felt his body stir up, his eyes fixed on Niall’s gyrating figure. He sat up, hands purchasing at Niall’s waist and thrusting lazily as if in instinct. “Why…why didn’t you…tell me?”

Niall pressed his hands on Liam’s chest, eyes hazy with a clouded look. “I didn’t— _ah_ —” He came quickly, covering Liam’s hairy chest with his cum “—didn’t want to wake you…”

They continued on with their love affair until the break of dawn. Niall was standing in the balcony of their bedroom, fresh from the shower, and in his bathrobes as he watched the first morning light through the skyscrapers in the distance. It had just rained and the cold, dewy air hung in the atmosphere; Niall shivered, having lost the heat he was in the whole night. A car had just passed in front of their manor, one of the rich neighbors perhaps, and Niall glanced at the sleeping naked body on the bed — then he noticed the state of their bed and noted to fix it again once Liam had left for work.

Niall sat down on the edge of the bed and watched Liam snoring soundly. There was something Niall found calming about gazing intently at Liam: catching the dips and curves of his body, the slight flutter of his eyelids, messy fringes that lay flatly on his forehead, and the quiet muffled murmurs that needed quite some decoding. They’ve been together for so many eons but with each passing day, Liam was still as interesting as the day they were both created. Through the wars, through all the passing ages of man — and maybe in all eternity — they’ve been together, inseparable. But they were not of one mind, however. Niall had no way of knowing how Liam thought of him nor to what was the extent of his love.

Perhaps it was better to have faith on something rather than have no faith at all, concluded Niall. If there was one thing that he liked about humans, Niall would say it’s their hope. It was hope that stood victorious in the battlefield; it was hope that helped humans learn to fly; and it was hope that was the root of their survival against the wicked powers of the earth. Faith and hope were the things that Niall knew he couldn’t lose on Liam.

As the minutes ticked on, rays of gold began to fill their room, a soft breeze had begun to stir Liam from his deep slumber. Liam squinted at the excessive light that flooded their bedroom and found Niall smiling fondly at him.

“I’m going to make breakfast,” said Niall, standing up from the edge of the bed.

Liam quickly grabbed Niall’s arm and pulled him onto the bed. “No…stay…stay with me…just a little while longer…” Liam took off Niall’s robe, slipping it off his shoulders until he was just as naked as Liam. Niall let Liam spoon him lovingly — let him pepper his neck and shoulders with kisses and let his hands roam wherever they wanted — until Liam fell asleep again, pleased grumbles rumbled in his hoarse throat. Careful not wake Liam up, Niall eased himself out of Liam’s embrace and crawled out of bed, picking his bathrobe out of the sheets and covering himself up as he got out of the room and down to the kitchens.

The manor was silent as Niall swept down the staircase, the row of armors that filled neatly down the left hall cast shadows on the carpeted floor as the morning sun shone brightly through the ceiling-high glass windows. They never bothered to have housemaids or footmen, valets or butlers, because for the long while that they had been alive as humans Niall and Liam had always done things themselves, and by asking other people to do it, Niall felt lazy and robbing of people to pursue plenty of other things.

Working his way around the marbled kitchen, Niall neatly arranged the ingredients he took from the refrigerator by the counter beside the stove. Soon there were sizzles of frying bacon and other assortment of breakfast food that were aptly prepared by Niall. He took pride that he could cook for Liam, serve him in any way that he could. Waving his hands as he stirred the sauce that was bubbling away in the pot, spices flew across the room and dusted over the sauce; knives were chopping cabbages, onions, garlic, carrots, and potatoes on the chopping board; dirty pots and pans floated towards the large sink, washing themselves with soap and water, and then proceeded to be dried by a ghostly cloth before hanging themselves on the hooks under the high-up cabinets; and cutlery and plates and white pearly china jumped out of the drawers, and the food has been enchanted to arrange themselves neatly onto the bowls and plates.

During the symphonic chaos of the kitchen, Liam had woken up from his sleep and found himself alone in the bedroom. Sitting there for a minute or so, a thought came into his head — something that had happened the night before — but he quickly disregarded it. He sluggishly dragged himself out of bed, took a shower, and then dried and wrapped himself in a bathrobe identical to Niall’s own. Pacing down the stairs and halls, Liam found himself following the scent that had wafted from the kitchen and plunged the left hall in a glorious, savory smell. Niall suddenly appeared through the door followed by floating plates, bowls, pitchers of what looked like orange juice, and jars of marmalade, jam, and peanut butter; in the whirlwind of entrees, Niall didn’t seem to have noticed Liam smiling at him. Liam followed them as the breakfast parade marched towards the dining hall. On the long table in the middle of the room, the plates sprawled and organized themselves on the wooden surface. Niall was standing happily, unaware of Liam about to pounce at him from behind.

“Hi,” said Liam smoothly, locking his arms around Niall’s waist and stomach. Liam kissed him fervently, stealing the wonder in Niall’s eyes and lips, and having it for his own.

But Niall didn’t seem to mind; he smiled widely and said, “Hi,” while panting heavily.

“You made yourself a feast.” Liam motioned towards the palpable array of breakfast that were in front of them. “How on earth are we going to finish all of these?”

“They’re magic, my love,” explained Niall; he pointed his finger on the table and a peanut butter and jelly sandwich assembled itself, zooming towards them, and Niall caught it nimbly. He took a bite and offered some to Liam who gobbled it up, sneaking a bite at Niall’s fingers. “They don’t spoil. I’ve enchanted them to stay fresh and warm until we’ve no more use for them — or we’ve finished them.”

“My moon, you’ve invented whole-week-breakfast.” Liam grinned at Niall rather sheepishly; Niall noticed a hint of tiredness in his eyes. “Mind if I take some to work?”

“You’re not going to work today,” said Niall sternly. “Look at you — you’re still sleepy! I think I tired you too much…”

“Don’t say that!” Liam scowled. “I can handle it. As your mate, I _should_ be able to handle it. Which brings me to my question—” He squinted at Niall with suspicion “—how come you’re not in heat anymore? It usually lasts for a week, and you just started last night…”

“I don’t know, Liam,” Niall said impatiently, conjuring a plate with scrambled eggs and two pieces of toast, and thrusting it at Liam. “All I know is that when I woke up this morning, my heat was gone. Guess you…um… _fucked_ it out of me last night?”

Liam didn’t look convinced. “That’s not how it works…”

“I _know_ that’s not how it works, Liam,” Niall snapped at him; Liam looked offended but Niall continued on hotly, “Look, for some reason, I’ve been experiencing changes but I don’t think it’s permanent — let’s not hope it lasts long. I think it’s because of being domesticated for so long.”

“Domesticated?”

“Yes — _domesticated_.” Niall grabbed the toast on the plate and shoved it into Liam’s mouth. “We’re becoming too much like humans that we’re losing our wolf selves. Like I said though, it’s not permanent. Once we’ve settled into our human selves—”

Liam chomped down on the toast in his mouth and swallowed it quickly, trying not to show how much he’s confused or bothered by what was happening. “But we’ve _been_ settling down for almost a hundred years now! Niall, I don’t want anything happening to you…”

“Nothing will happen to me,” insisted Niall.

“You don’t know that—”

“—and you do?”

“That’s not what I’m trying to get at…”

“Then just listen for once and _accept_ what I’m saying!”

“I just want to protect you, Niall. You know me — that’s all I want.”

“Where is this sudden gallantry coming from?” Niall snorted.

Liam stared at him, the shock registering clearly on his face. His ears turned red and a scowl grew as his lips twitched but Liam continued to suppress it.

“Please don’t make fun of how I care for you, Niall,” said Liam coldly. “I’m hotheaded and rash but there’s nothing I wouldn’t do to keep you safe. I might not be as smart as you to know many things or have the kind of powerful magic that you have, but I would like you to have patience with me, if you can spare it. Maybe even a little faith.”

Color drained from Niall’s face. He had no idea that he was belittling Liam — or maybe he did and he just didn’t have the empathy to feel it. Did he lack faith on Liam? No, Niall felt that it was impossible — only a couple hours ago he was staring at Liam’s sleeping figure, fearful of losing hope and faith on him, but… He’s been too trusting of himself, on his powers, that he had forgotten who had saved him so many times before — Liam. He got mad at Liam for that scene in the alley — something he, Niall, didn’t even understand in the first place — and yet he didn’t even accept any explanation but his own… He had begun to doubt and take for granted the only one he had in the world — the one who loved him the most — and the only one to blame was himself…

Lost in his thoughts, Niall suddenly felt warm fingers on his cheeks, brushing away the salty liquid that was dribbling down his face. Liam was wide-eyed, wearing a pained, horrified look on his face.

“Niall — a-are you alright?” Liam’s voice trembled; strings of panicked questions shot at him. “Why are you crying? Are you hurt? What’s wrong?! Niall, p-please say something!”

“I’m sorry…” croaked Niall.

There were tears forming on Liam’s eyes. “W-What?”

“I…I didn’t know I was hurting you, Liam…” Niall tried to force a smile but ended with a grimace that made his tearful face look even worse. “I’m…I’m sorry…if it felt like I didn’t have faith in you, I’m so sorry…please…I’m sorry…”

The words got caught in Liam’s throat and he burst into tears — a warrior overcome with unexplainable emotion. “Y-You _git_. I-I’m not mad at you — yes, I felt you were being distant to me, like you don’t believe in me anymore—”

“But I do!” cried Niall.

“But it was just a feeling, Niall,” assured Liam, grabbing Niall’s waist and pulling him close — so close that their lips were brushing. “For the longest time, I wondered if you didn’t need me around anymore… I felt like I was just a waste of space. But I was being silly. Just as silly as you’ve been the other night…”

“How long have you been thinking like this?” pressed Niall in a shameful whisiper. “How long have I been neglecting you, Liam?”

“You weren’t neglecting me, Niall,” insisted Liam, lips just aching to close the gap but the questions get in the way. “They were just silly musings… I thought I had longer.”

“Longer for what?”

“A longer chance to be your protector,” answered Liam in a soft whisper. “That’s what I was made for, aside from wars and battlefields. And that’s what I’ve been doing for a long time — but I don’t think you need one anymore.”

At long last, the moment hanging fell. A zap of electricity sparked between their lips; Niall was pressing himself onto Liam, arms twisting around his neck, crushing every bit of air from both of their lungs. Tinges of pink dotted Niall’s cheeks, and Liam’s bronze skin was flushed red. Flames had engulfed them from the inside; an insatiable scent wrapped around them, making Niall shiver and the hairs on Liam’s skin prick up. It was the same as before — the same feeling when they went down the astronomy tower. Liam couldn’t find himself to break away, not when he felt hunger in his veins, not when the avaricious beast inside him could feel that Niall was—

“You’re in _heat_ ,” growled Liam, the scent was already driving him mad and there was an unquenchable thirst in his throat. “How are you in heat _now_?”

“I—I don’t—”

Niall couldn’t finish his words, his body was burning up and desiring something only Liam could give. There was quick understanding when their eyes met on what had to be done. In one swoop, Liam carried Niall from the dining room. Niall was panting heavily as Liam reached the stairs. They climbed up and Liam set Niall down, hurriedly shedding every piece of clothing and slamming the bedroom door shut behind them.

The warm mornings and rains of July turned into a sweltering August, the oncoming change of seasons bringing summer’s power into a full crescendo before plunging into the autumn. Whenever Liam had left for work, Niall busied himself with maintaining the garden from being murdered by the heat. Because he was working his magic out in the open, Niall had to place spells all over the ground and manor to obscure what was happening inside. He had enchanted cleaning objects to dust and polish every inch of the house while he soldiered on in their vast lawn, conjuring spouts across the grassy field to water the faltering plants. The neighbors and people who walked by say hello but don’t notice the floating garden shears that were trimming the verge or the wispy cloud over Niall’s head that dropped lemonade whenever he asked for one.

By six in the evening, Niall had finished saving the lawn, dispelled every cleaning material into the spacious closets, took a long, warm shower, and headed down to the dining hall after getting dressed. The diner he had whipped up the evening before was still fresh and warm on the table. Grabbing a ladle of meatball soup and bread, Niall retreated to the study which he had charmed to stay in a cool temperature because of the sweltering heat of summer.

Delving into the latest novel he had been writing, Niall didn’t hear the knock on the study room door. Amidst the scratches of pen on paper and the clacking of keyboards, Niall stood hunched over his laptop with an empty bowl beside him; his left hand was scribbling on a piece of paper with his pen while the other was scrolling down the screen of his laptop. He nearly dropped his pen when Liam kissed him on the cheek.

“You’re working too hard on that novel, my moon,” said Liam with a knowing smile. “Take your time — it’s not going anywhere.”

Niall tried to change the subject. “How’s work?”

“You know how it is — pop stars and celebrities,” Liam said with a deep sigh. “I’m used to the fans screaming and trying to get past us but if there’s one thing I’m not going to get used to, it’s the ones were trying to escort — bloody gits.”

“Who is it this time?” Niall looked amused. “Someone interesting?”

“Some new singer who just won some contest — forgot his name already.” Liam chuckled lowly, shaking his head like he’s seen something stupidly funny. “Tried to hit on me.”

The amusement on Niall’s face turned into a grin. “He what?”

“Said he wanted to sleep with me,” answered Liam. “Very frank about his _kinks_ , that’s what he called them. He wanted me to stay the night, rough him up and pound him down. Of course, I told him off.”

“Let me guess…you’re fired?”

“On the contrary — no, I’m not.”

Niall looked surprised. There have been several times before that Liam got sacked from his former jobs because he insisted on his, what they called, “old-fashioned” principles. Niall had told him many times to find a job where they respect his stands but Liam had always been so keen on doing bodyguard for other people — the sense of protecting someone still raging through his bloodstream as it was their purpose, as guards, when they were still Odin’s wolves.

“What did your boss say?” asked Niall, curious as to what happened after Liam was so keen on upholding himself.

“He told me I’d get stationed with someone else — someone more mature enough to handle their _urges_ , so to speak,” said Liam with a smile. “I’m glad he understood, just means he has principles as well. There aren’t a lot of humans like that anymore. Not since the wars.”

While Liam slept after they had dinner, Niall woke up in the middle of the night to continue his work — but he couldn’t. Niall stared at the blank white canvas on the computer screen. He’s finished over a hundred pages but he felt stuck. Niall got up the chair in his study and stared out the window, watching the city lights in the distance. It’s been only more than thirty years since the city of New York had been rebuilt but there was no trace of the wars that enslaved it for so long.

Sixteen years after Niall and Liam had decided to leave their cave and join humanity, war broke out. Liam decided to help in the frontline while Niall remained in the town where they were staying at in Spain, helping defend it, and healing soldiers and civilians the way he knew how. In the chaos of the war, they never questioned Niall’s methods. Why should they — _how_ could they even think of things like that when there were bombs dropping off from the sky every hour? How could they when Niall seemed to be the only thing standing between them and annihilation? Of the nights and days that Niall kept thinking if Liam was still alive, perhaps on some foreign land in the east or in an atrocious situation in the middle of the Atlantic, he wanted to leave and look for him but he couldn’t.

The war raged on for eleven more years. Most of the great cities of the world have been reduced to ashes: London had been razed to the ground, the river Thames flowed not water but blood; Moscow was deemed inhabitable because of the radiation; Tokyo had been erased from the maps; Cairo had become a fiery hell; and New York, its skyscrapers gone and wide avenues destroyed, became a mass graveyard.

But everything must come to an end — and so did the war. Millions have perished, countries plunged into disarray. And while the world started to rebuild itself, rise up from the ashes and continue on with life twenty years after the Great Mushroom War, the gods decided to strike their hammers heavy and drag humanity along with them.

“ _Ragnarok_ ,” Niall whispered, shivers running down his spine even if the evening air was humid and sticky.

But it was not like before where they died and went through rebirth. Most of the gods have perished, unable to return and was nothing more than mere memory — and so did half of the world. Niall couldn’t relive the memories of that endless day when the gods, beneath the soaring canopy of Yggdrasil, clashed into battle. He saw Frigga’s head being cut clean from her body by the frost giants; Thor floored by Loki, dropping his hammer, Mjolnir, on the grassy terrain as the trickster god rammed his long spear through his chest; and Niall heard Liam scream in despair and fury as Fenrir swallowed Odin whole. Huginn and Muninn, the ravens of thought and memory, soared overhead, squawking eerily with a great voice which sounded like the All-Father that only Niall seemed to hear:

_You are free! Bound as my wolves no more. Inherit the earth as you see fit. Remember us in the glorious times past, not in our miserable demise!_

Liam slammed Fenrir to the ground, crushing his skull, blood pouring out of every socket and drenching Liam’s body in dark crimson. With a howl, Liam twisted Fenrir’s head and removed it from its miserable, twitching body. The head flew across the air, spiralling downwards from the bright orange sky, and thudded near Niall — depraved from eyes, Fenrir’s bloody, hollow sockets stared at him, the head of the great wolf mocking Niall.

“ _Bound as my wolves no more_ …” repeated Niall, the words of Odin had began troubling him again — something that hasn’t happened in a very long time. “ _Inherit the earth_ … _you are free_ …”

But what does it all mean? Niall inquired of the summer night beyond the windowsill but its answer was nothing more than a gust of wind. What had Odin meant by inheriting the earth? Midgard was not their home — it belonged to humans. Does this mean, because they had chosen human lives, that he and Liam were bound to a human fate as well? Niall gazed at his fingers: they were pale and thin, and full of callouses, but he could still do magic. If they were bound to a mortal fate, then wouldn’t the years have caught up with them and they’d be nothing more than dust? Yet he still had his powers, and Liam had his.

 _Bound as my wolves no more_ could’ve meant many things… It probably meant they were no longer in service of Asgard, now that Odin was gone. There was something nicking in his stomach because everything felt too odd to be a coincidence. Freedom… Boundlessness… Inheritance… Inheriting the earth would mean that it could be passed down, from generation to generation but —

Niall felt acid clawing up his throat; he lurched forward, throwing his head through the window, and emptied the contents of his stomach down the cobbled pathway below. He suddenly felt sick — queasy from thinking about Odin’s voice and what it entailed. Niall conjured a towel and wiped his lips. Just as he was sitting down to mull things over further, his stomach went mad, and he stood up, dashing from the study and through to the right hall where the communal bathroom for guests was. Niall willed the door open just in time for him to slump down the tiled floor and empty the contents of his belly into the toilet. Throwing up violently, he wondered if this was his mortal fate: the ages past catching up to him in the most gruesome manner that did not involve him shuddering into dust. After flushing the contents down the drain, Niall weakly stood up and found Liam shouting towards him.

“NIALL! ARE YOU—” Liam dashed to catch Niall as he staggered. “My moon… what has happened? My moon…”

But Niall couldn’t hear anything; though his stomach may had calmed, his head was swimming in visions of flaming wolves and giant ravens parroting the same words he had mulled at over and over again. He suddenly found himself being laid down onto their bed by Liam whom which he could not hear. Niall’s eyes surveyed the room and he caught a glimpse of something hiding in the shadows, a form that was barely illuminated by the moonlight. He gave a slight whimper and Liam quickly stood up, alert and in focus, scouting every corner of the room but found nothing. Liam’s mouth was moving but Niall couldn’t hear his voice. Neither could Niall find his to tell Liam — that he had just seen Odin standing there by the window.

His dreams weren’t exactly springtime and butterflies either: Liam was standing naked in the middle of a field of dead bodies, still drenched in crimson and hand tightly grasping the fur of the great wolf’s head. Then, the head’s mouth moved and spoke, “ _The mortal coil has left your flesh untouched but the seed has been sown. The shackles are broken and the earth trembles at the blood of your line. Out of your love, tainted in no vanity, comes a gift from murdered gods of old_ …”

The scenery changed into a garden that was under the branches of the world tree. Columns of ivory promenaded through the grassy soil, and at the end of it stood a shadow. In its arms was sackcloth that wrapped around a small curious figure.

“Will you take it?” asked the shadow.

“Take what?” answered Niall.

“The gift of the murdered gods,” said the shadow proudly. “The nobleness of your hearts and a love unlike any other. You and your mate have been deemed worthy.”

Niall stared at the shadow warily.

“What is this…gift?”

“Have you no faith?” the shadow sounded shocked. “Take the gift without asking or leave it here — there is no other way.”

“Fine — alright, I’ll take the gift.”

The columns and the garden dissolved; the shadow that was standing in front of him transformed into a fiery wolf with ruby eyes. Niall looked around and everything was engulfed in flames. The fiery wolf transformed again, this time into Liam. His handsome face smiled at Niall, tongues of flame licking his bronze skin, and his eyes were dark gold. Then, Liam dissolved into smoke, swirling around Niall until it lumped together, forcing its way down his throat and nostrils. An inescapable heat was burning him from the inside, setting his blood on fire. Niall began to shake, trembling onto the singed soil. He clawed his fingers at the dirt, shaking violently, and then, a bolt of lightning surged through him —

“NIALL!”

The sonorous shout jolted Niall awake but it was too late — Liam’s knot exploded inside him. Niall found himself breathless, gasping for air and raking his nails down Liam’s back. Liam groaned loudly, sinking his teeth onto Niall’s shoulder and drawing blood. The bed creaked grudgingly as they crashed down, Niall safely wrapped around Liam’s arms. Liam’s weight crushed Niall down, forcing Liam deeper inside him as the knot continued to fill him up.

Disoriented by what just happened, Niall stayed still, the surging fire within him was dissipating. Liam withdrew his teeth from Niall’s shoulders, eyes covered in mist. Much like Niall, he didn’t seem to know what had transpired. Upon seeing Niall’s face, Liam’s expression turned to bewilderment and then horror.

“What — what happened?!” While trying to remove himself from on top of Niall, Liam groaned, his engorged rod twitched inside Niall. “Niall — you were—”

Niall felt his senses coming back to him, and he gently caressed Liam’s face, letting Liam lean to his touch. It apparently calmed Liam down, made him gather back his own thoughts, and caused Liam to adjust their position; he grabbed Niall’s back and set them sitting up, Liam leaning his back on the headboard and Niall settling onto his chest.

“I was having a dream,” whispered Niall. “A strange one…”

“You woke me up with your screams,” said Liam, wearing a worried look, his bronze skin looked pale in the dimly lit room. Beyond the window, the sky was turning pink. “I thought you were having a fever, you were burning up… Suddenly you stopped and was looking right at me. You were muttering something, I don’t know if that was in Nordic or something related. Then it felt like my body had a mind of its own. Y-You climbed on top of me and we…we started mating… I lost track of what was happening until a few moments ago… I—”

Liam’s ears turned red. Disbelief spread across his face and then his eyes widened, apparently tasting something metallic in his mouth.

“Did — did I b-bite you?” he asked shakily.

“I-I think so…” Niall looked at him curiously. “I’ve done that to you plenty of times—”

“—and I _haven’t_ ,” replied Liam hastily. “I’ve never bitten you because we were both males, I could only do that if you were a female. We were created for each other so our mating was limited _to_ each other.”

“How can you be sure you could only bite females?” Niall sounded a little jealous. “There were only three great wolves — and we’re all males.”

“Because Frigga told me on one of those lessons I had with the Queen,” answered Liam, a longing look on his face. “That way, we couldn’t multiply even if we wanted to. We weren’t made to inherit the earth — that was our shackle…”

 _The shackles are broken… Inherit the earth as you see fit…_ , the voice whispered into Niall’s ear.

“But what about me? I’ve bitten you!”

“You were the All-Father’s rear guard,” explained Liam. “You had better talents than me but I was still the dominant wolf. Have you ever noticed why I was on the front of any battle while you stayed behind to guard the Queen and the people?”

Niall did not answer, his gaze transfixed on Liam.

“Your powers filled the gaps in mine,” continued Liam. “It did not mean you were weaker — no, on the contrary, it meant that you were more valuable, more precious. That is why I’ve always protected you, Niall, even if you didn’t need any. As the dominant wolf, my duties are to you and all of your needs. Also, as I am the dominant wolf, you were my submissive — you were the omega to my alpha. Because you’re a male, there was no urge to bite you while mating — biting you would mean I wanted to breed with you. But, again, there were only three of us — all male — and we were all in shackles.”

“Not anymore…” said Niall.

“What do you mean, _not anymore_?”

“Remember when I told you we were starting to become domesticated?”

Liam nodded.

“Well…” Niall bit his lip, the realization dawning upon him making him both happy and distraught. “I was wrong. It wasn’t domestication. It was something else — I’ve never told you what happened during Ragnarok…”

“Ragnarok?” Liam shivered as he said the word. “What happened during Ragnarok? D-Did something happen to you?”

“To _us_ ,” corrected Niall. “I’ve never realized it then — took me more than thirty years and last night to discover what Odin meant.”

“What…Odin…meant?” Liam sounded confused.

“He told me, before he died, through Huginn and Muninn, that we’re no longer his wolves. He told us to inherit the earth the way we see fit. And last night, in my dream, Fenrir told me that the shackles were broken—” Niall looked up at Liam “—we’re _free_ , Liam…and you’re breeding me right now.”

They laid still for a while; Niall’s words were echoing through the room, through Liam’s brain. When the golden rays finally filled the room, Liam slipped himself out of Niall, still in a daze that lasted through breakfast.

Liam stood motionless underneath the shower, rivulets of cold water raining down his body. His mind couldn’t still grasp the notion that Niall was able to breed with him — and that they did just that. Lost in his thoughts, pale arms slipped around his muscled stomach. Liam spun around, Niall looking sadly at him.

“You didn’t seem pleased,” mumbled Niall. “Don’t you…like…you _know_ …with me?”

The dark clouds in Liam’s head suddenly vanished as he bend down to catch Niall’s lips. His body began to relax, arms pulling Niall closer to him. Deep into their kiss, the waters and questions drained away. Their world had changed once more but their untainted love remained. Though they were the wolves of Odin no more, the everlasting fire still ran through their veins and their ceaseless love filled every corner of the room.

Liam didn’t go to work that day.

The glorious sunny morning began to be ravaged by that year’s final summer storm. Covered in thick blankets, Liam wrapped himself around Niall as they stood in front of the window, watching the rain drown the city and the thunder rumble above the dark clouds. A moment later, a bolt of lightning struck the highest tower in New York.

“Beautiful,” whispered Niall.

He melted down onto Liam whose chest rumbled as he chuckled. Liam’s hand settled on Niall’s belly which made the blonde hum approvingly. Though the constellations were hidden beyond the clouds, the world tree gone forever, and the earth slowly changing with each passing day, Niall and Liam stood there, watching the lighting strike as if they were frozen in time — extending the moment into a million forevers just like the eternity that was before them, which they would face together.


End file.
